INTERVIEW: Matthew Arnold’s ‘Outer Lands’ hits digital shelves
Image courtesy of Comixology Originals / Provided by Superfan Promotions with permission.
Matthew Arnold is a person of multiple modalities. He’s known for his work on TV with NBC’s Siberia and Emerald City, and he’s also the creative force behind the film Shadow People. He’s enjoyed his time in the graphic novel and comic space as well, with the previously released Eden and the brand-new Outer Lands.
Outer Lands is now available digitally from Comixology Originals. Featuring art by Davide Gianfelice and a cover by Jock, the graphic novel tells the tale of a young prince who is exiled from an ancient land to a faraway island in order to prevent him from assuming the throne one day, according to press notes. It’s there on the island that he realizes a global conspiracy is afoot, and he may be the only one to stop it from becoming fully realized.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Arnold about his new graphic novel. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How long have you been working on this graphic novel?
The idea has been in my head for a very long time, but the actual process of creating the book itself took about nine months — just about the time it takes to have a baby and only slightly less painful.
Is writing a graphic novel similar in any way to writing for TV or film?
I think it’s a very different process. Of course the principles of good story and characters still hold, but pacing is very different. And also the ability to elaborate and direct the scenes, the camera angles, the blocking and performance is very different than in TV or film writing.
How would you describe the young prince who is at the center of the story?
He’s very ambitious and driven and also very curious about the ancient Atlantean legends. I love characters who have an obsession of some kind, and his is the study of this forbidden culture. He also shows himself to be quite witty with a dark sense of humor.
Do you like mashing up an ancient Greek style with a futuristic look?
I wouldn’t say I like it, per se, just that it was appropriate for this story. What I do like are stories that take a hard, unexpected turn, and this certainly does. And because of the strange conspiracy at the center of this world, it allows a really visually interesting mash up that I think readers will find pleasing.
What was the working relationship like with Davide Gianfelice?
Couldn’t be better. The guys’s a real genius, and I think he proves that on the page, but also very open to collaboration. If I had a note, we would discuss it and decide how to best actualize the story point I was trying to make in a way that was also artistically interesting for him.
Is there as much satisfaction with a digital graphic novel versus a print version?
More so, I’d say, mostly because you’re getting to see the pages being drawn as you go, and the story is being built before your eyes every day. In a novel, I’m just giving the reader the words to form their own images from, but with the graphic novel I get to see those images on the page. And that’s very satisfying, especially once the colorist and letterer take their passes. Great talking to you!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Outer Lands by Matthew Arnold, with art by Davide Gianfelice and a cover by Jock, is now available from Comixology Originals. Click here for more information.
